New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘KLEI01024’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘KLEI01024’, characterized by its mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond the foliage; and large bright orange red-colored flowers.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Impatiens hawkericultivar KLEI01024.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of NewGuinea Impatiens plant, botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name KLEI01024.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Stuttgart, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new freely branching Impatiens cultivars withnumerous large flowers and interesting flower and foliage colors.

The new Impatiens originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor during the fall of 1998 of a proprietary Impatiens hawkeriselection identified as code number A 045, not patented, as the female,or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selectionidentified as code number P 110, not patented, as the male, or pollenparent. The cultivar KLEI01024 was discovered and selected by theInventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in controlled environment in Stuttgart, Germany, inMay, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Stuttgart, Germany, since 1999, has shown thatthe unique features of this new Impatiens are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEI01024’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEI01024’ as a new Impatiens cultivar anddistinguish it from other known Impatiens cultivars:

1. Mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching growth habit.

3. Dark green-colored leaves.

4. Freely flowering habit with flowers positioned above or beyond thefoliage.

5. Large bright orange red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens are larger than and differ from plants ofthe female parent selection in flower color as plants of the femaleselection have violet-colored flowers. Plants of the new Impatiensdiffer from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flowercolor as plants of the male parent have crimson red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Impatiens can be compared to plants of the cultivarColombo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,710. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Impatiensdiffered from plants of the cultivar Colombo in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Impatiens were larger than plants of the cultivarColombo.

2. Plants of the new Impatiens were not as freely branching as plants ofthe cultivar Colombo.

3. Plants of the new Impatiens had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Colombo.

4. Plants of the new Impatiens and cultivar Colombo differed in flowercolor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Impatiens.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘KLEI01024’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar KLEI01024 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Stuttgart, Germany during the spring, under commercial practicein a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants were grown in 12-cm containers forabout 12 weeks after planting rooted cuttings. During the productionperiod, day temperatures ranged from 18 to 24° C. and night temperaturesranged from 16 to 18° C. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Impatiens hawkeri cultivar KLEI01024.

Commercial classification: New Guinea Impatiens cultivar KLEI01024.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified ascode number A 045, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection identified as codenumber P 110, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 21 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine and fibrous; cream-white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.

Plant description:

General appearance.—Mounded and outwardly spreading plant habit.

Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching, about five lateralbranches per plant develop without pinching, that is, removal of theterminal apices. Vigorous growth habit; densely foliated.

Plant height.—About 14 cm.

Plant spread.—About 28 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 9.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 183B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite or in whorls. Length, matureleaves: About 13 cm. Width, mature leaves: About 4.3 cm. Shape:Lanceolate, oblong. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Serrulatewith fine ciliation. Texture, both surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, leathery.Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 147A;glossy. Young foliage, lower surface: 138C. Fully expanded foliage,upper surface: 139A; glossy. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface:138C. Venation, upper surface: Towards the apex, 147D; towards the base,184B. Venation, lower surface: 184C. Petiole: Length: About 1.5 cm.Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 184B.

Flower description:

Flower type and flowering habit.—Single, large and rounded flowers.Freely flowering, usually about seven flowers and flower buds inclusters per lateral branch. Flowers positioned above and beyond thefoliage and typically face upward or outward. Flowers mostly flat whenfully opened. Flowers last about 10 to 14 days on the plant depending onenvironmental conditions. Petals self-cleaning; gynoecium persistent.Flowers not fragrant. Flowering indeterminate and continuous.

Flowering season.—Year-round under greenhouse conditions. In the garden,flowering from spring until fall.

Flower length.—About 7.4 cm.

Flower width.—About 7.1 cm.

Flower depth (thickness).—About 1.3 cm.

Flower buds.—Rate of opening: From flower bud to fully open flower,typically about five to seven days depending on temperature. Length:About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: 34A.

Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, imbricate. Length: Banner petal:About 3.2 cm. Lateral petals: About 3.3 cm. Lower petals: About 3.9 cm.Width: Banner petal: About 5.6 cm. Lateral petals: About 3.6 cm. Lowerpetals: About 4.7 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:Rounded to acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth; satiny. Color: Whenopening and fully opened, upper surface: 33A; color fading to 33B withdevelopment. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 33B.

Spur.—Length: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: At flower: About 3 mm. At apex:About 0.7 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 184B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 6.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm. Strength:Strong, flexible. Aspect: About 45° from the stem. Texture: Smooth,glabrous. Color: 182B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Five fused at anthers,filaments free, hooded. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther length: About 6mm. Anther width: About 3.5 mm. Anther height: About 1.3 mm. Anthercolor: Creamy white, close to 157A. Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollencolor: Creamy white, close to 157A. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One.Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma shape: Columnar, five-segmented.Stigma color: Creamy white, close to 157A. Style color: Creamy white,close to 157A. Ovary color: 143A.

Fruit/seed development.—Fruit and seed development has not beenobserved.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Impatiens.

Weather tolerance: In Stuttgart, Germany, plants of the new Impatienshave been observed to be relatively tolerant to wind and rain and totolerate temperatures from 12 to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiensplant named ‘KLEI01024’, as illustrated and described.